Dry cleaning apparatus



Oct. 29, 1935. G. w. .JOHNSON DRY CLEANING APPARATUS Filed April` 16, 1,934

Patented Oct. 29, 1935 2,019,911 DRY CLEANING APPARATUS George W. Johnson, Cincinnati, Ohio, assigner to The American Laundry Machinery Company, Norwood, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application Aprilia, 1934, semi No. 720,632

7 Claims.

'Ihis invention relates to the dry cleaning of fabrics and garments and the like with a Vola-` tile detergent, and has more particular relation to closed systems or apparatus for this purpose. The object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus and a method for automatically compensating for otherwise widel fluctuations of pressure within the dry cleaning system or, in other words, for maintaining a fair- 10 ly uniform pressure, so that the parts of the apparatus can be designed and made of material of the proper strength but with minimum kweight and cost, as well as for further advantages which will more fully appear hereinafter. In the drawing, which represents one suitable embodiment of apparatus suitable for performance of the method, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic View with some parts in sectional elevation; Fig. 2 is a detail sectional elevation on a larger scale, illustrating an automatic controlling valve; Fig.

3 is a sectional elevation on the line 3 3, Fig. Y

2; and Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view, corresponding to Fig. 2, but on a larger scale, and illustrating an adjusting device.

One common form of dry cleaning apparatus utilizing volatile detergents comprises a chamber or casing within which the garments or fabrics to be treated are subjected to the effect of a quantity of the liquid detergent, following which the liquid detergent is drained off so far as possible and any remaining detergent is removed by the use of an air current, is condensed and returned to the liquid, and the used liquid detergent is cleansed or clarified by distillation and condensation. While any volatile detergent may be employed, one common detergent suitable for the purpose is carbon tetrachloride.

Systems of this kind, if entirely closed or sealed against escape of liquid or gas to the atmosphere, necessarily must be made of heavy material. 'Ihat is true not only of the casing or walls of the treating compartment, but also of the walls of containers for liquid, stills, condensers and the like. The reason is that the chambers within the several vessels necessarily are subjected to widely varying fluctuations of pressure if the entire system is sealed or closed at any time, due to the application of heat for distillation, the variations in temperature of the outside air, and also variations in temperature of the cooling medium such as water and the like. As a result, some systems are provided with an open vent to the atmosphere, to maintain atmospheric pressure, or nearly so, with the disadvantage of possible loss of valuable detergent by free escape to the atmosphere.

The present invention is designed to prevent loss of valuable detergent by escape to the atmosphere, incident to the use of a vent, by olos- 5 ing or sealing the system against vent or escape to the atmosphere except during loading or unloading and at the same time providing the system with means and operating it by a method which automatically compensates for the wide 1 0 y fluctuations in pressure which otherwise would be produced in such a system, and particularly by compensating for such wide fluctuations by apparatus sensitive or subject to the conditions within the system and utilizing for the compen- 15 sation an effect produced upon one or more of the condensers forming a part of the system itself.

As a result, any tendency of the pressure to rise is met by an increase in the condensing ef- 20 feet, with correcting or compensating influence tending to prevent rise of pressure, while any tendency for the pressure to reduce, say to a point below atmospheric pressure, is met by correcting or compensating decrease in the condens- 25 ing effect and a corresponding tendency to increase pressure.

'I'he system shown in the drawing for purposes of illustration comprises a treating unit I, a detergent storage vessel 2, a still 3, and a condenser 30 4 suitably connected and associated with each other. f

The treating unit I is something like an ordinary washing machine or drying tumbler, comprising an outer casing 5 provided with a door 6 35 through which the material to be treated, such as garments, fabrics or the like, can be introduced into and removed from the compartment or compartments 1 of a rotatable foraminous drum 8 mounted within the chamber of the cas- 40 ing. Door 6, when closed entirely, seals the unit against inflow or escape of air or gas, except as will appear hereinafter. In the casing are also located a heater including a chamber 9 in which are located heating steam coils I0 or the like, a 45 condenser II including a chamber containing condensing coils I2, a sump or receiver I3, and a delinting or iiltering chamber Il in which are removable screens I5. The treating unit is provided With a suitable air flow producing device, 50-

such as the fan or blower I6 whose inlet side communicates by a conduit I1 with the chamber of heater 9 and whichy is also provided with an opening or connection I8 to atmosphere adapted to be opened or closed .-bya door I9. The de- 66 v treating chamber to the sump chamber I3 by way of a pipe 23 provided with a valve 24. Bump chamber I3 communicates by a pipe `25 having a valve 28 with a pump 21, the outlet side of which communicates by a pipe 28 with the evaporating or distilling chamber 28 of the still, which may be heated by steam circulated through the surrounding chamber 38 by pipes 3|. A check valve 32 permits flow through conduit 28 only in the direction. of the arrow thereon. The vapors or gases produced by the distilling operation in chamber 28 rise through the conduit 33 to the chamber 34 within the condenser 4, being there condensed to liquid form by the eifect of the cooling'coils 35. The liquid thus condensed flows by pipe 38 to the chamber of a cooler 31, in which are also located cooling coils 38, and on the far side of the cooler flows by way of pipe 39 to the storage reservoir 2.

The several cooling coils 35, 38 and I2 may be separate, in which case any one or al1 of them may be provided with automatically controlled valves of the character hereafter described, but preferably, and as shown, the several coils are in series with each other, said coils being connected by conduits or pipes 48, 4I and being in communication at one end by way of a valve 42 with a suitable supply of cooling liquid, such as cold water, and discharging at the other end to any suitable point, say to the sewer, by way of a valve generally marked 43.

The several chambers of the condenser 34, cooler 31 and storage reservoir 2 communicate with each other by way of pipes 44, 45, the latter pipe communicating by a branch 48 with the pipe 2 Ia leading to the treating compartment 2 I.

With this arrangement the material to be treated is rst loaded into the compartments of the rotating drum 8, door 6 is sealed and a quantity of liquid. detergent is run into the treating compartment by opening the valve 22. Said valve is then closed. The drum 8 is rotated for the proper period of time to produce a thoroughv agitation of the material in the detergent with a.k y consequent washing or cleansing l thereof. Finally, the drum 8 is stopped and the liquid in chamber2l is'drained to the sump I3A by openfstv sa heating 1 chamber to ing valve 24. Whenas much liquid has drained from `the'work'as is reasonably possible, the fan I8 is started. Heated air from heater 9 is drawn into the-'fan and is chamber 2|, flowing therefrom through the opening-41 to `and through the, screens I5 inthe de-V v"linting chamber I4', Vthence through opening-48 and passage ,4 9 and vopening 58 to and through 'the' chamber of condenser II, where the volatile detergent inthe form of gas is condensed to liquor and drains through the openings 52 to the sump, the air flowing through opening 53 to the be .reheated and returned thro'ugh'the same circuit. This drying operavtion is continued until substantially all of the detergent has been recovered. The delinting chamber I4 is provided with connection 54 to atmosphere adapted to be opened and closed by a valve or damper 55, and the two valves Il and' 55 are operatively connected by be jointly operated by the handle 5,1. During the washing and drying oper- 2I may be drained therefrom valve which controls discharged into the treating ations before'referred to said valves lie -in the full line position, Fig. l. When the drying operation is finished the valves are turned to the dotted line position, shutting oiI communication between chambers 2,14 and/,14. Therefore, the drying operationcisconcluded the fan continues to operate for deodorizing, drawing fresh air in through the connection I8 and delivering it to the chamber` 2I from which it flows to atmosphere through the pipe 54. 10

Thedliquid collected in the sump I3 is now pumped to the still 3, is there distilled and is conveyed as a gas to condenser 4 from which, as a liquid, it drains to the cooler 31 and is returned to the storage vessel 2. 15

In the present system I use one or both of the condensers 35 and I2 or the cooling coil 38 as a means for compensating for wide iluctuations in pressure within the system at Vtimes when it is sealed against the atmosphere by the closing of 20 door 8 and dampers 55 and I9, and particularly to correct any tendency of the pressure to vary by an automatic change in the condensing eifect or efficiency, subject or sensitive to the pressure within the system. In the arrangement shown, one of the chambers within the apparatus, such as the delinting chamber I4, communicates by way of a pipe 55a with the chamber 55h within a hollow casing 58 containing a movable abutment, such as a diaphragm 59, whose opposite face is subject to the pressure of a loading spring 88, whose preszure is preferably capable of variation, such as by the adjusting screw 8l. Said diaphragm moves back and forth under the influence of variations in pressure in chamber 55h and its 35 motion is utilized to actuate a valve for controlling the condensing eifect. In the arrangement shown the diaphragm presses against a head on a rod 82 connected to an arm or lever 83 on a valve shaft 84 extending into the casing 40 of the valve 43 and provided within said casing with a swinging gate valve 65 adapted to more or less open or close the passage 88 through the the rate of water flow.

In operation of the system valve 42 is opened wide and remains open throughout all operations. The system is designed to operate on approximately atmospheric pressure with variations therefrom not exceeding a positive pressure above atmospheric vor a negative pressure below atmospheric of not more than a few pounds, say one or two pounds. Therefore, all parts of the apparatus, including 'all tanks or vessels andthe wallsV of the treating unit 8, are made of metal 0r other material of ordinary gauge without excessive weight to withstand heavy pressures. If at any time during the washing or Vdrying operations when both the door 8 and the valves 55 and I9 are closed, the pressure within any part of the system tends to riseor fall more than the limit of one or two pounds, such variation in pressure immediately becomes eiective by way of pipes 44, 45, '48 and the like with the chambers in the unit 8 and therefor-ein pipe 55a and the chamber 51h communicating therewith. The parts are so arranged that asthe -pressure tends 'to rise it moves over the diaphragm 59'and opens wider the port or passage 88, thereby increasing the rate of Water flow through the several condensing coils, producing an increasing condensing effect with a consequent tendency to reduce pressure in the system. Likewise, as the pressure in the system tends to fall at any point, the diaphragm 59 moves over in the opposite direction andthe port or e 88 is somewhat closed,

when 5 thereby decreasing the condensing effect and producing a tendency to increase pressure. The net effect is to tend to stabilize or maintain uniform at approximately atmospheric pressure, the

'pressure throughout the entire system, and enable all parts of the apparatus to be made of minimum weight but yet with necessary mechanical strength for their intended duties.

Any suitable means, of course, may be provided for adjusting or regulating the sensitivity of the apparatus, or, in other words, the amount of variation in pressure necessary to produce a given amount of correcting adjustment of valve 43, the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 and including the adjusting screw 6i being but one of the suitable forms for the purpose. Screw 6i will be adjusted to a position depending upon the particular conditions under which the system is operating, and the variables to be encountered, such as the air temperature outside of and surrounding the apparatus, the temperature of the available cooling water, the efficiency of the heating devices, such as the coils in the still, and so forth. In normal operation the screw 6| is adjusted to such a position that the valve 43 is partly open and permits the flow of sufiicient cooling water to produce a condensing effect which wi1l sub stantlally balance any tendency to increase pressure, with the net result of producing and maintaining substantially atmospheric pressure, and the inherent strength of the spring will be such as to permit said Ispring to be compressed upon rise in pressure or permitted to expand upon drop in pressure within the reasonable variation permissible, such as one or two pounds, as before stated, and by its motion produce suiiicient'valve operation to produce a sufilcient correcting iniluence upon the condensing effect, all as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. Dry cleaning apparatus, comprising a casing provided with a fabric treating chamber, a condenser having a cooling chamber, said chambers being adapted to be sealed from the atmosphere, means for circulating solvent vapors between said chambers, means for supplying cooling medium to said condenser, regulating valve means for said supply means, and means sensitive to the pressure within said apparatus for controlling said valve means and arranged to gradually increase the supply as the pressure increases and to decrease it as the pressure decreases.

2. Dry cleaning apparatus of that type in which all parts of the apparatus during the drying operation are sealed from atmosphere, comprising fabric treating, storage, condensing, and distilling vessels interconnected for the ow of volatile detergent between them, and means sensitive to the pressure within the apparatus for controlling the operation of said condenser so as to increase the supply of cooling medium when the pressure within the apparatus is above a predetermined amount and to decrease the supply of cooling medium when the pressure within said apparatus is below a predetermined amount.

3. Dry cleaning apparatus of that type in which all parts of the apparatus during the drying operation are sealed from atmosphere, comprising fabric treating. storage, condensing, and distilling vessels interconnected for the flow of volatile detergent between them, means for producing repeated circulation of solvent, vapors between the fabric treating vessel and one of the condensing vessels, heating means for such gaseous medium, and means sensitive to pressure within the apparatus for controlling the operation of said condenser so as to increase the supply of cooling medium when the pressure within the apparatus is above a predetermined amount and to decrease the supply of cooling medium when the pressure within the apparatus is below a predetermined amount.

4. An apparatus in which a volatile solvent is utilized for treating fabric or in which the volatile solvent is being reclaimed comprising a closed system including a solvent-containing chamber, a condenser, means for supplying a cooling medium to said condenser, and means sensitive to pressure conditions existing in said apparatus for increasing the amount of a cooling medium supplied to said condenser when pressure conditions in the system exceed a predetermined amount and decreasing the amount of cooling medium supplied to said condenser when the pressure conditions within the apparatusfall below a predetermined amount.

5. Dry cleaning apparatus which is adapted to be sealed from the atmosphere including a fabric treating chamber, a condenser, `means'ior circulating solvent vapors between the fabricv treating chamber and the condenser, means for supplying a cooling medium to said condenser, and means sensitive to pressure conditions within said apparatus for regulating the supply of cooling medium to said condenser so as to increase the supply of cooling medium when the pressure within the apparatus is above a predetermined amount and to decrease the supply of cooling medium within said apparatus when the pressure is below a predetermined amount.

6. An apparatus or system in which a volatile liquid is being utilized or stored comprising a vessel or system which is adapted to be sealed from the atmosphere, a cooling device located in heat exchange relationship with the fluid in said vessel or system, means for supplying cooling medium to said device, and means sensitive topressure conditions in said vessel or system for regulating the supply of cooling medium to said system when the pressure is below a predeter- 55 mined amount.

7.'Dry cleaning apparatus including a fabric treating chamber, a condenser and a heater interconnected to form a circuit, said apparatus being adapted to be sealed from the atmosphere, means for circulating solvent vapors through said circuit, means for supplying a cooling medium to said condenser, and means sensitive to pressure within said apparatus for controlling the' supply of cooling medium so as to increase the supply of cooling medium when the pressure within the apparatus is above a predetermined amount and to decrease the supply of cooling medium when the pressure is below a predetermined amount.

GEORGE W. JOHNSON. 

